HC orders Mayurbhanj police to end social boycott of tribal family for ‘sorcery’ | Bhubaneswar News
Cuttack: Orissa high court has directed Mayurbhanj police to immediately take steps to ensure a tribal family does not face social boycott for refusing to pay a fine of Rs 25,000 imposed by a kangaroo court for allegedly practising sorcery.
Sundar Mohan Majhi (60) of Dorakantia village had sought the HC’s intervention when his family’s social boycott continued even after lodging an FIR at Bangiriposi police station. Advocate B K Mishra argued on Majhi’s behalf.
The bench of Justice S K Panigrahi on Thursday directed the police administration to immediately take steps to ensure Majhi’s family is allowed “to use the water from the common well, including the tube well and other common resources of the village”.
“The police administration shall extend assistance to the petitioner to perform the death ritual of his deceased wife,” Justice Panigrahi also ordered, adding, “It is also made clear that no member of any NGO except the family members of the petitioner should be there to perform the death ritual without any assistance.”
Justice Panigrahi further directed the Mayurbhanj SP “to file an affidavit regarding the steps taken on the issues especially on the issue of the social boycott and restraining harvesting of paddy from his own agricultural land and any other issues faced by the petitioner”.
“He shall also explain what proactive steps have been taken by the police administration to bring the present petitioner into the mainstream against such orthodox people,” Justice Panigrahi specified and directed for filing of the affidavit by Feb 25, the next date of hearing.
According to case records, some villagers of Dorakantia imposed a Rs 25,000 fine on Majhi last year on suspicion of practising sorcery. When his wife, Sakramani Majhi, died on Oct 23, villagers decided to deny permission for her cremation if he didn’t pay the fine. When the news spread, a social organisation helped Majhi perform the funeral rites of his wife but only after it was delayed for more than 30 hours by villagers.
Subsequently, the family was denied access to drinking water from wells set up by govt, grazing of their cattle and other social rights. Relatives attempting to assist them were allegedly attacked and driven away while the family was restrained from harvesting paddy from their agricultural land.
On Nov 6, Bangiriposi police registered a case against some villagers based on Majhi’s complaint but no arrests were made and social boycott of the family continued.
Sundar Mohan Majhi (60) of Dorakantia village had sought the HC’s intervention when his family’s social boycott continued even after lodging an FIR at Bangiriposi police station. Advocate B K Mishra argued on Majhi’s behalf.
The bench of Justice S K Panigrahi on Thursday directed the police administration to immediately take steps to ensure Majhi’s family is allowed “to use the water from the common well, including the tube well and other common resources of the village”.
“The police administration shall extend assistance to the petitioner to perform the death ritual of his deceased wife,” Justice Panigrahi also ordered, adding, “It is also made clear that no member of any NGO except the family members of the petitioner should be there to perform the death ritual without any assistance.”
Justice Panigrahi further directed the Mayurbhanj SP “to file an affidavit regarding the steps taken on the issues especially on the issue of the social boycott and restraining harvesting of paddy from his own agricultural land and any other issues faced by the petitioner”.
“He shall also explain what proactive steps have been taken by the police administration to bring the present petitioner into the mainstream against such orthodox people,” Justice Panigrahi specified and directed for filing of the affidavit by Feb 25, the next date of hearing.
According to case records, some villagers of Dorakantia imposed a Rs 25,000 fine on Majhi last year on suspicion of practising sorcery. When his wife, Sakramani Majhi, died on Oct 23, villagers decided to deny permission for her cremation if he didn’t pay the fine. When the news spread, a social organisation helped Majhi perform the funeral rites of his wife but only after it was delayed for more than 30 hours by villagers.
Subsequently, the family was denied access to drinking water from wells set up by govt, grazing of their cattle and other social rights. Relatives attempting to assist them were allegedly attacked and driven away while the family was restrained from harvesting paddy from their agricultural land.
On Nov 6, Bangiriposi police registered a case against some villagers based on Majhi’s complaint but no arrests were made and social boycott of the family continued.
